Type collection

Apart from a fine series of extinct or endangered species, the Australian Museum holds a large portion of Australian and south west Pacific bird types in the Ornithology collection. Some 447 individual specimens denote type specimens in the collection. These are representative of 179 bird species and three naturally occurring hybrids.

The following information may be useful to understand the importance of these collections and their interpretation. Within the attached database several fields of information require explanation. Fields chosen are standards that will assist both professional and amateur in locating species names and associated data. Several choices may be made in how to locate or search for a particular taxon. Each entry contains a family name, the original name, its proposer, the date of publication, and the publication in that the name first occurred. Also mentioned are the sex, age, type status, and individual registration number. Finally, there is the senior synonym or current name, and its common or English name for the species and other general remarks.

Further, often more detailed information may be obtained in either:

Hindwood, K.A., 1946. A list of the types and paratypes of birds from Australian localities in the Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales. Rec. Aust. Mus. 21: 386-393.
OR
Longmore, N.W., 1991. Type specimens of birds in the Australian Museum. Tech. Report of the Aust. Mus. No. 42pp.

For instance, AM O.13371 is the type specimen of Casuarius casuarius johnsonii in the family Casuariidae. This is a holotype; it was originally described as Casuarius johnsonii by Mueller in the Australasian (p. 1221, 29 December) in 1866. It was a mounted specimen of an adult male taken at Gowrie Creek, Qld, Australia, in September 1866. Currently the specimen is listed as missing, and was previously registered as P.3319.

Another example is AM O.18568, the holotype of Collyriocincla boweri (family Pachycephalidae). In 1885, E.P. Ramsay described this species on page 244 of volume 10 of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of N.S.W. The generic name of this species is now spelt Colluricincla. The specimen, an adult male, was collected by T.H. Bowyer-Bower on 12 December 1884 at Peterson's Pocket, Queensland. It was prepared as a study skin.

Each has been recorded as representing holotype, lectotype, neotype, paralectotype, paratype, and syntype material. Following are definitions of these terms:

• Holotype: A single specimen designated as the name-bearing type of a species or subspecies when it was established, or the single specimen on which such a taxon was based when no type was specified.
• Paratype: Each specimen of a type series other than the holotype.
• Syntype: Each specimen of a type series from which neither a holotype nor a lectotype has been designated.
• Lectotype: A syntype designated as the single name-bearing type specimen subsequent to the establishment of a nominal species or subspecies.
• Paralectotype: Each specimen of a former syntype series remaining after the designation of a lectotype.
• Neotype: The single specimen designated as the name-bearing type of a nominal species or subspecies for which no holotype, or lectotype, or syntype(s), or prior neotype, is believed to exist.

Data displayed are for each individual registration; several individuals of one taxon will be summarised before accessing detailed information. Images for several of the Australian taxa are attached; these have been provided through the Museum's Nature Focus agency. Photographic credits are given with each image.

As always, there have been several changes to the most recently published list of Longmore (1991). A number of new taxa have been added, and a few deleted. Errors may have still found their way into this text. All enquiries regarding any entry and general comments should be addressed to the Collection Manager: Walter E. Boles. Email Walter Boles.

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